4 Pages Essay: Does Capitalism Promote (Social) Equality?

Topic of your essay: Choose one of the following questions and answer them using at least one of the readings from the first part of the course. This means that you should not simply write down what you think is a good answer. The task is that you engage with the selected reading and the author’s arguments or data when responding to the question. You may also use additional academic writings (more chapters from the same book, other books and articles from academic journals, but no internet sources) to substantiate your arguments, but you have to show that you have read and understood at least one of the readings from the first part of the course.

Here are the questions:

• Why is capitalism superior to other economic systems?

• Is there a limit for increasing profits in capitalist economies?

• Who or what drives innovation in capitalist economies?

• Why should the state support demand in capitalist economies?

• How does capitalism generate waste and why is this a problem?

• Is capitalism the best of all economic systems for granting freedom?

• Does capitalism promote (social) equality? I use this question

• Does capitalism provide (social) justice?

Format: The essay should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words long, include an introduction and a conclusion (1 paragraph each), provide 3 to 5 arguments (presented in separate paragraphs) and make substantial references to at least one reading (direct or indirect quotes; direct quotes should not be longer than 3 lines). Use double-space lines, New Roman 12 point font, and add page numbers. Write your name, student number, and section number at the top of the first page. Use Word-format or and equivalent text procession format.

Quotation: For quotations use the name of the author, the year of the publication, and the page number of the quote. If you quote directly from the text, put the quote in parentheses. Direct quotes should not be longer than three lines. If you summarize the argument or content of the text in your own words use indirect quotes. You can also add the name of the author in the text.

“The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain” (Jones, 2011: 54).

The rain in Spain usually falls on the plain (Jones, 2011: 54).

Jones (2011: 54) argues that “[t]he rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain”.

Jones (2011: 54) argues the rain in Spain usually falls on the plain.

Bibliography: Add a bibliography with the sources you quote in the text. Note that this may mean that you need more information for a text than the one given in the syllabus. Part of the exercise is that you show that you are able to find it.

Book: Last name, first name (year of publication): Title. Publisher. Location.

Chapter from a book: Last name, first name (year of publication): Title of the chapter. Editors of the book. Title of the Book. Publisher. Location. From page ? to page ?

Article: Last name, first name (Year of publication): Title of the article. Title of the journal. Volume and number of the journal. From page ? to page ?

Harvey, David (2005): A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dumenil, Gerard and Dominique Levy (2005): The Neoliberal (Counter-)Revolution. In Alfredo Saad-Filho and Deborah Johnston (eds.). Neoliberalism A Critical Reader. London: Pluto Press, pp. 9-19.

Hermann, Christoph (2014): Structural Adjustment and Neoliberal Convergence in Labour Markets and Welfare. Competition and Change Vol 18 No. 2, pp. 111-130.

Evaluation:

Your essays will be evaluated according to the following criteria

• Format, style, references (introduction & conclusion; each argument a separate paragraph; correct referencing; correct and complete bibliography)

• Essay substantially engages is one of the readings from the first part of the class